ROME: Lazio forward Keita Balde walked away from a high-speed car crash that caused extensive damage to a €180,000 (Dh843,000) Lamborghini he had no right to rent, according to reports on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old Spaniard was travelling at “120km/h or more” according to Corriere dello Sport when he lost control in Rome in the early hours of Monday morning.
While the yellow Lamborghini — a 550bhp supermachine with a top speed of 320km/h — suffered extensive damage to its front end after hitting three crash barriers, a “petrified” Balde escaped injury-free.
According to the report, Keita had attended a concert by American rap artist Snoop Dogg on Sunday evening with several Lazio teammates and there are conflicting reports over whether alcohol was involved.
Keita, born in Spain to Senegalese parents, had rented the Lamborghini for a week with a view to purchasing it, said the report.
But, having only obtained his driving licence in November 2013, his rental of the car was illegal. In Italy, newly qualified drivers are restricted to driving cars with limited engine power.
One media report claimed the results from a breathalyser test “were under the legal limit”. His agent, Ulisse Savini, however rejected any suggestion the player had consumed alcohol: “The breathalyser test was negative.”
Damage to the car was estimated to be in the region of €50-60,000, said the report.
Keita also risks having his driving licence suspended for between two and eight months.
